Lists about the sitcom about Ted Mosby, architect, and his pals Barney, Marshall, Lily, and Robin, as they lived, laughed, and loved in New York City, which aired on CBS from 2005 to 2014. It was—wait for it—legendary. Show
Airing for 9 seasons, How I Met Your Mother is a 2005 sitcom with an all-star cast and memorable characters. Over 1.4K Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of Favorite How I Met Your Mother (HIMYM) Episodes
6 "The Naked Man" is the ninth episode in the fourth season of the television series How I Met Your Mother and 73rd overall. It aired on November 24, 2008. Running for nine seasons between 2005 and 2014, How I Met Your Mother was a beloved hit sitcom which provided laughs aplenty to its millions of fans and remains a cherished series many years after it concluded. Jam-packed with lovable characters and great running jokes while utilizing a pleasant and familiar narrative structure, the comedy television show consisted of a whopping 208 episodes, with many seasons having their own standout highlights which have lived long in the memory of fans. Set in New York City, it follows Ted Mosby's (Josh Radnor) recollections of how he met his children's mother, following him as he navigates life and love as an aspiring architect alongside his four best friends Marshall (Jason Segel), Lily (Alyson Hannigan), Robin (Cobie Smulders), and Barney (Neil Patrick Harris). From pineapples to slap bets, and to the eventual revelation of the mother, the 10 best episodes, according to IMDb's ratings, feature many of the series' golden moments.  Watch on Hulu 10 "Blitzgiving" (Season 6, Episode 10)IMDb Rating: 9.0/10The show would become famous for HIMYM's best Thanksgiving specials, with the season six episode "Blitzgiving" a hilarious hallmark of holiday fun. With Ted responsible for preparing the food, he decides to turn in early on the eve of Thanksgiving and, in the process, gets the curse of "The Blitz," a moniker reserved for someone who misses out on legendary moments through sheer bad luck and poor timing. As circumstance plagues Ted's plans to host Thanksgiving, the group finds themselves going to Zoey's (Jennifer Morrison) apartment for the holiday, something which further disgruntles Ted even as Barney becomes the Blitz through his decision to travel separately from the gang. The episode is loaded with the series' trademark comedy and plenty of holiday cheer, but also serves as a major chapter in Ted and Zoey's tumultuous relationship with the two ex-lovers finally putting their differences aside and agreeing to be just friends. 9 "Girls vs. Suits" (Season 5, Episode 12)IMDb Rating: 9.0/10Throughout the tenure of How I Met Your Mother, there were a great many episodes dedicated to the scene-stealing character Barney Stinson, who became a fan favorite with his womanizing ways, his questionable moral code, and his complete self-absorption. One of his best episodes was "Girls vs. Suits," following Barney as he gives up his beloved suits in an attempt to woo MacLaren's new bartender, only to find himself facing withdrawal in the process. One thing that many viewers loved about the episode was its unexpected and surprisingly well-executed musical number in which Barney expresses his undying love for fine clothing. All the while, in the background of the episode, Ted gets ever closer to meeting the future mother of his children as he starts dating her roommate, Cindy (Rachel Bilson), teasing the happy ending fans had been waiting for without revealing too much information too soon. 8 "Spoiler Alert" (Season 3, Episode 8)IMDb Rating: 9.0/10It was often the case that How I Met Your Mother was operating at its best when it was mixing observational comedy while touching on important home truths about people and relationships. The season three episode "Spoiler Alert" did that to perfection, as Ted introduces his new girlfriend, Cathy (Lindsay Price), to his friends only for them to say that she talks too much, ruining the illusion of her perfection for Ted, leading the group to start noticing each other's worst flaws. The HIMYM episode's simple lesson is that nobody is perfect, and it intelligently addresses that basic fact by playing on the offense taken by the characters when they are alerted to what it is they do that is deemed to be annoying. Meanwhile, Marshall is growing worried about his Law School exam results but can't access them online because he has forgotten his password. While Barney tries to coax him into doing something illegal, Marshall soon learns the answer was embedded in his perceived flaw all along. 7 "Game Night" (Season 1, Episode 15)IMDb Rating: 9.0/10A playful episode arc that became one of the series' most revealing episodes, "Game Night" succeeded in being both a fun character-driven episode and a reflective look at how Barney Stinson became the man audiences know and love. Starting out as a night of harmless fun, the gang soon gets their hands on a videotape that Barney sent to an old girlfriend many years ago and, against his wishes, watches it, thus exposing the man Barney was before he became a corporate type. While Stinson insists on everyone else sharing embarrassing stories from their pasts too, it is undeniably the exposition into Barney's background that makes the episode such a hit. It's a little cringe-worthy at times, and the discussion around Barney's misogynistic ways may be outdated today, but it did reveal the charismatic character at his lowest point and, given it didn't completely sympathize with him, made for a cathartic viewing experience. 6 "The Naked Man" (Season 4, Episode 9)IMDb Rating: 9.1/10By the midway mark of season four, Ted is trying to move on from his separation from his ex-fiance Stella (Sarah Chalke) and starts dating Vicky (Courtney Ford), a woman he sees in his work elevator frequently. All the while, the gang becomes obsessed with a new, desperate date move dubbed "The Naked Man" - a somewhat problematic ploy in which one shocks their date with nudity which leads to sex - when it is used successfully on Robin, leading others to try their hand at the move with differing results. The episode served as a joyful return to comedic form for the series after it had spent some time delicately wrestling with the emotional fallout of Ted being left at the altar by Stella. The now-problematic Naked Man, aka Mitch (Adam Paul), later shows up in the final season connected to The Mother in another uncomfortable and humorous, naked altercation. 5 "The Pineapple Incident"(Season 1, Episode 10)IMDb Rating: 9.1/10The first truly great episode of How I Met Your Mother, "The Pineapple Incident" takes place at a point in the series where Ted was still madly in love with Robin. Barney tells him that he overthinks too much and recommends that he get drunk to lower his inhibitions, leading to a night of partying which results in Ted waking up with a pineapple and a woman he doesn't recognize in his bed. With Ted, Marshall, and Lily trying to decipher what exactly transpired the night before, the HIMYM episode strikes a perfect balance of humor and plot to document an awkward and relatable situation for many 20-somethings. While the happenings of the night were eventually uncovered, the mystery of the pineapple was never solved. 4 "The Final Page: Part Two" (Season 8, Episode 12)IMDb Rating: 9.3/10A pivotal episode in the context of How I Met Your Mother's finale, "The Final Page: Part Two" has a lot going on, taking place on the day Ted finally opens his building, thus becoming the youngest architect to build a skyscraper for the New York skyline, while, across the city, Barney is waiting to propose to Robin. While Robin is furious at Barney's lies, she finally reads the final page of Barney's notorious playbook, learning of "The Robin" before seeing Barney down on one knee. The episode is a roller-coaster of emotions, taking fans from the heartwarming highs of Barney and Robin's engagement to the conclusive tragedy of Ted finally letting Robin go. The HIMYM episode finds a beautifully bittersweet moment when Ted, standing triumphant in his career with the building's grand opening, is also presented as a man crushed and lonely. 3 "The Playbook" (Season 5, Episode 8)IMDb Rating: 9.3/10Set in the aftermath of Barney and Robin's initial break-up, "The Playbook" shows that Barney has jumped back his usual ways, using one of his schemes to charm a woman that Lily had been hoping to set Ted up with. In a fit of rage, Lily steals Barney's cherished playbook and threatens to post it online but finds herself hesitating as Barney enacts a play which was torn from the book known as "The Scuba-Diver", leaving the rest of the group to watch on with equal amounts of disgust and fascination. In addition to the comic mystery intrigue surrounding Barney's ploy, the episode also delves into the complex emotions which transpire following a break-up, with Lily sympathizing with Barney as he explains his schemes are taking his mind of Robin, but his sincerity may be in doubt. It's a memorable episode that features Barney at his enigmatic, sleazy best, and can only be regarded as a legen... wait for it... dary installment in the series. 2 "Slap Bet" (Season 2, Episode 9)IMDb Rating: 9.4/10Probably the most iconic and universally recognized episode of How I Met Your Mother, "Slap Bet" famously features the revelation that, in her youth, Robin was a Canadian pop star with the hit song "Let's Go to the Mall." When the gang discovers that Robin has been concealing a secret, they scramble to uncover the mystery, with Barney believing her secrecy is linked to pornography, while Marshall theorizes that Robin was married in a shopping mall, leading the two to agree to a slap bet with Lily as the overseer. Of course, the revealed truth of Robin's music career proves to be far more rewarding than any of the gang could have hoped for. It also served as the origin point of one of the series' best running jokes, with Marshall, who was prematurely slapped by Barney, permitted to slap his rival five times at any moment he chooses, a gag which carries on right to the end of the series. 1 "How Your Mother Met Me" (Season 9, Episode 16)IMDb Rating: 9.5/10While the much-maligned series finale did not go down well with fans or critics, How I Met Your Mother's final season still had some moments of brilliance, with the 16th episode, "How Your Mother Met Me" an obvious highlight as the highest-rated episode of the show on IMDb. A rewarding episode for long-time fans, it was dedicated to the mother, Tracy (Cristin Milioti), revealing all the times she and Ted had nearly met, as well as showcasing some of the heartbreak she had experienced herself throughout her life. The episode packs so much into its mere 25-minute runtime, from the tragic death of Tracy's boyfriend to the many comical interactions she had experienced with other dates before she finally met Ted at Barney and Robin's wedding. It's one of the most heartfelt and well-rounded episodes of How I Met Your Mother, full of warmth and heart while meditating on the funny quirkiness of life with immensely satisfying results. What's the highest rated episode of How I Met Your Mother?IMDb Rating: 9.5/10 While the much-maligned series finale did not go down well with fans or critics, How I Met Your Mother's final season still had some moments of brilliance, with the 16th episode, "How Your Mother Met Me" an obvious highlight as the highest-rated episode of the show on IMDb. What is the darkest episode of How I Met Your Mother?[😢] Season 8, Episode 20, "The Time Travelers," is considered the darkest episode of "How I Met Your Mother." [🔄] The episode deviates from the sitcom norm, challenging the comfort of the status quo. Why did they count down from 50 on How I Met Your Mother?The scene was done in only one take. Throughout the episode, numbers appear on ordinary objects counting down from 50 to 1. This is a countdown from the beginning of the episode to the eventual bad news, which is told right after the "1" is shown. Who is the most liked How I Met Your Mother?Although each character brought something unique to the show, some characters were clear winners when it came to fan favorites.. 6 Lily Aldrin.. 5 Ted Mosby.. 4 Robin Scherbatsky.. 3 Barney Stinson.. 2 Marshall Eriksen.. 1 Tracy McConnell.. |
